WO2001036231A1

WO2001036231A1 - Control device for a motor vehicle and method for producing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2001036231A1
Application number: PCT/DE2000/004069
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl Smirra; Roland Albert
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1999-11-18
Filing date: 2000-11-16
Publication date: 2001-05-25
Also published as: US6515228B2; EP1230107B1; DE19955603C1; DE50014011D1; US20020148631A1; AR026516A1; JP4741132B2; EP1230107A1; JP2003515066A

Abstract

The control device for a motor vehicle comprises a component carrier (1) with a sealed housing (12, 15). A flexible printed board (11) extends through the housing and to a conductor support (2). Conductors embedded in the component carrier electrically contact the electric components (16; 22). During the production of the control device the conductors are embedded in the conductor support (2). The conductor support is fastened to the component carrier (1). Then the electrical contacts between the components (16; 22) and the conductors are established. The conductor support (2) is preferably separable and is therefore especially flexible.

Description

description

Control device for a motor vehicle and manufacturing method

The invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle, in particular a control device integrated in the housing of an automatic transmission, with a component carrier and a sealed housing for control electronics, and a method for producing such a control device.

A control unit integrated into the housing of an automatic transmission is known from the patent specification DE 197 12 842 Cl. A housing cover, which seals control electronics, is formed in one piece with a support body. Electrical components are attached to the supporting body. The ends of conductors protrude from the supporting body and are inserted into sockets in a base plate in order to establish an electrical connection with a flexible printed circuit board. In doing so, relatively narrow tolerances must be observed. In addition, there is a certain danger that when the conductor ends are inserted, the conductor tracks of the flexible printed circuit board will be torn off.

From the patent DE 197 51 095 Cl an electrical connection arrangement is known in which the contacts between the conductors in the support body and the flexible printed circuit board can be dispensed with if the flexible printed circuit board is guided through the sealed housing of the control unit to the electrical components , However, the circuit board material is relatively expensive. Due to the fact that the flexible printed circuit board can only be contacted on one side for cost reasons, the flexible printed circuit board must be partially folded, rotated and bent. Folding involves considerable assembly effort and material consumption. Patent specification EP 0 695 117 B1 shows a control unit with a plastic housing, in which leadframes are cast. Inside the housing, electronic assemblies are contacted with the lead frames. However, it is very difficult to achieve an absolute seal against media such as gear oil in the case of housing bushings realized using leadframes.

Patent specification DE 40 23 319 Cl describes a control device which has a heat-conducting plate with a flexible printed circuit board on which electrical components are arranged. Electrical components are protected by hood-like covers. Furthermore, a plug strip with connection contacts is arranged on the top of the plate. Through an opening in the plate, connecting wires of the connector strip protrude into the flexible circuit board.

It is an object of the invention to provide a control device for a motor vehicle and a manufacturing method for a control device which enable inexpensive production and a reliable, vibration-resistant, hermetically sealed electrical connection between a control circuit and electrical components arranged remotely therefrom.

This goal is achieved with a control device and a manufacturing method as defined in the independent claims.

According to the invention, the flexible printed circuit board establishes an electrical connection between the control circuit arranged in the sealed housing and conductors integrated or embedded in the line carrier. The separate line carrier can be mechanically connected to the component carrier in such a way that the flexible printed circuit board or film comes to rest on the line carrier. There, a voltage-free and vibration-resistant electrical connection between see the conductors and conductor tracks of the flexible circuit board, for example by soldering, bonding or preferably welding.

Metallic objects such as wires, metal strips or lead frames, which are preferably injected, pressed or fitted into a groove, are suitable as inexpensive conductors. Furthermore, the conductors can be realized using MID technology, i.e. through metallized synthetic material surfaces.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the line carrier is attached to the component carrier with play. The flexible properties of the flexible printed circuit board allow play between the conductor carrier and the component carrier without the electrical contact points between the flexible printed circuit board and the conductors being exposed to an impermissible load. The play provided between the component carrier and the line carrier enables the simple and exact fitting of one or more components of the line carrier into an installation location.

It is particularly advantageous if the line carrier has a detachable section on which a plug connector is arranged. This significantly improves the mobility of the section carrying the connector. The separable connection between the sections can be linear or point-shaped. With a separable punctiform connection with a certain distance of the remaining contours of the sections from one another, the sections cannot inhibit one another or rub against one another during a relative movement.

The flexible printed circuit board is preferably a flexible foil (flex foil) with conductor tracks made of copper and polyimide layers covering them. When the control unit is manufactured, a metallic conductor is integrated or accommodated in the body of the line carrier. With the help of the cable carrier, electrical connections can be made in a simple manner between the flexible printed circuit board, which is required for the sealed housing passage, and remote electrical components. The electrical components can be arranged on the conductor carrier and / or on the component carrier.

A particularly preferred application of the invention consists in a transmission control unit which is completely integrated in the oil-filled housing of an automatic transmission.

Further features, advantages and possible uses of the invention result from the description of an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawings. Show it:

1 shows a perspective view of a transmission control unit, FIG. 2 shows the rear of the transmission control unit, FIG. 3 shows the component carrier of the control unit, FIG. 4 shows the line carrier of the control unit, and FIG. 5 shows a partial view of a section through the transmission control unit.

FIG. 1 illustrates a transmission control device which is intended for installation in the oil-filled housing of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle.

A flexible printed circuit board 11 or flexible film extends out of a housing onto a component carrier 1. The housing is hermetically sealed against transmission oil by a cooling plate 12. The flexible circuit board 11 is laminated on the cooling plate 12. On the component carrier 1 electrical components 16 are arranged. These are solenoid valves and two speed sensors.

A cable carrier 2 made of plastic is attached to the underside of the component carrier 1. The cable carrier 2 has at its end remote from the component carrier 1 a plug connector 22 or plug as an electrical component. The plug connector 22 is inserted tightly into a corresponding opening in the transmission housing in order to establish a connection to an in-vehicle data bus and to a power supply. The housing of the connector 22 is made in one piece with the line carrier 2. The side of the flexible printed circuit board facing away from the cooling plate 12 lies both on the component carrier 1 and on the conductor carrier 2.

Figure 2 shows the underside of the control unit. The line carrier 2 is inserted into the component carrier 1 in the vicinity of a housing trough 15, which receives an electronic control circuit, and latches. The cable carrier is inserted into the component carrier from the side that faces away from the flexible printed circuit board.

FIG. 3 shows the component carrier 1 before the line carrier 2 is added. In the component carrier there are recesses 14 into which a web of the line carrier provided with electrical contacts can be inserted. The recesses 14 are outside the housing formed by the housing trough 15 and the cooling plate.

FIG. 4 illustrates the line carrier 2 with the conductors 21 in the form of stamped sheet metal strips or lead frames. The conductors are extrusion-coated with the plastic material of the cable carrier. The conductors 21 form contacts 24 on the contact blocks or webs 23, with which corresponding contact points or conductor tracks of the flexible printed circuit board are electrically contacted. The webs protrude so far relative to the contact surface of the line carrier 2 on the component carrier that the webs 23 inserted into the recesses are flush with the surface of the component carrier serving as a conductor track support. The conductors 21 extend from the webs 23 to electrical components, namely to the contact pins of the plug connector 22 of the line carrier 2 and to the speed sensors which are arranged on the component carrier.

The cable carrier 2 is manufactured and installed as an integral part. After fastening the cable carrier 2 to the component carrier, however, a certain mobility of the section 26 is desired so that the connector 22 can be more easily fitted into a housing opening of the transmission. For this purpose, the component carrier 2 can be separated along a weakened section or a groove 27 and can be freed from a connecting web 28. The groove 27 represents a predetermined breaking point. This creates two separate sections 25 and 26. Thus, the line carrier combines the advantages of cost-effective production and assembly and simplified logistics with the advantages of mobility that a two-part design of the line carrier entails.

Each of the two sections 25 and 26 each has a mechanical connection to the component carrier and an electrical connection between the conductors 21 and conductor tracks of the flexible printed circuit board 11. The mechanical and the electrical connection between the component carrier 1 and the line carrier 2, or the sections 25 and 26, are mechanically decoupled from one another.

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Claims

claims

1. Control device for a motor vehicle, in particular a control device integrated in the housing of an automatic transmission, which has:

- a component carrier (1) with a sealed housing (12, 15),

- An electronic control circuit (13), which is arranged in the sealed housing (12, 15), - A line carrier (2) made of plastic, which is attached to the component carrier (1), the line carrier (2) and the component carrier (1 ) are separate parts,

- A flexible printed circuit board (11), which is guided through the sealed housing (12, 15) and on the cable carrier (2), and

- In the conductor carrier (2) integrated electrical conductors (21) which make an electrical connection between the flexible circuit board (11) and an electrical component (16; 22).

2. Control device according to claim 1, characterized by a recess (14) of the component carrier (1) into which the line carrier (2) is inserted.

3. Control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the line carrier (2) with the component carrier (1) is mechanically connected with play.

4. Control device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the line carrier (2) is fastened to the component carrier (1) in such a way that the line carrier (2) can be moved longitudinally and transversely with respect to the plane of the flexible printed circuit board (11).

5. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the line carrier (2) from the side te is inserted into the component carrier (1) which faces away from the flexible printed circuit board (11).

6. Control device according to the preceding claim, character- ized in that the line carrier (2) has a web (23) with contacts (24) in a recess (14) of the component carrier (1) outside the housing (12, 15th ) is arranged.

7. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible printed circuit board (11) rests with the same side on the component carrier (1) and on the line carrier (2).

8. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that conductor tracks (111) of the flexible printed circuit board (11) with the conductors (21) on the conductor carrier (2) are electrically contacted by a welded connection.

9. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the line carrier (2) is made in one piece, that the line carrier (2) has at least two at least partially separable and mutually movable sections (25; 26).

10. Control device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each section (25; 26) has a mechanical connection to the component carrier (1) and an electrical connection between the conductors (21) and the flexible printed circuit board (11).

11. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conductors (21) are stamped sheet metal strips, and that the sheet metal strips are extrusion-coated from the plastic of the cable carrier (2).

12. Control device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrical component (16) on the component carrier (1) is fixed, and in that part of the electrical connection between the component (16) and the control circuit (13) on the line carrier (2) is performed.

13. A method for producing a control device, comprising the steps: a line carrier (2) is produced from plastic, metallic conductors (21) being integrated,

- A component carrier (1) with electrical components

(16) equipped,

a flexible printed circuit board (11) is laminated onto the component carrier (1) in the area of a sealed housing (12, 15),

- An electronic control circuit (13) is arranged in the sealed housing (12, 15) and contacted with the flexible printed circuit board (11), - The cable carrier (2) is attached to the component carrier (1),

- The flexible circuit board (11) is electrically contacted on the conductor carrier (2) with the conductors (21), and

- The conductors (21) are electrically contacted with electrical components (16; 22).

14. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the electrical connections between the conductors (21) and the components (16; 22) and the electrical connections between the conductors (21) and the flexible printed circuit board (11) in one Process step are produced.